Dial for combination-locks.



W. T. BENHAM.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1914.

1,156,658. Patented 001;. 12, 1915.

llllll :IIIIIIIIII II II II II IMIII II II |III.I llllllll IIII WILLIAM 'r. BENHAM, or RIsINGsUN, INDIANA.

DIAL FOR COMBINATION-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 001 .12, 1915 Application filed. January 5,1914. Serial No. 810,353.

To all whom it may concern: K i

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. BENHAM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Rising Sun, in the county of Ohio and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Dials for Combination- Locks, of which the following isa specification.

My improvements relate to dials forcombination locks, such as are ordinarily used on safes, vaults and the like.

My improvements are intended to simplify and make more certain the running. of thecombination, so that such locks will be more widely used, as on doors of buildings. My improvements consist fundamentally of a combination lock dialwith its periphery notched, one notch for each number of the count, and bored at the tens, one hole for each ten numbers of the count; a plunger to contact with the holes at will and an operating ratchet-pawl or its equivalent to contact with notches and turn the dial in either direction desired.

While the dial may be numbered only one way, as is common practice now, it will be more convenient to number it both ways. (from zero. as disclosed 1n my prior Patent No. 1,113,865, dated October 13, 1914.

If the operator is nervous or in a hurry he frequently finds it hard to turn .the dial to the exact number desired without passing the number. sary to rerun the entire combination. My invention insures the absolute accuracy desired. Sucha device can also be run with accuracy in the dark, as will appear from the description.

In the particular embodiment of my invention selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a safe dial with notched and bored periphery and dial rim fitted with plunger and ratchet-pawl devices, one of such devices having the front cover of its casing frame removed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the pawl frame; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the pawl; Fig. l. a detail, is an edgewise elevation of the dial; and Fig. 5 is a dial and rim with an alternative form of ratchetpawl device.

Referring now to the drawings, A is the dial and B the dial rim. The dial is of the usual rotating sort except the graduations are numbered both clock-wise and contraclock-wise from zero, and at each unit grad- Such mistakes make it necesuation is a notch or, in the periphery. The handle a is set at zero, and the plunger 6 is set at the point onthe rim where the count is started, sowhether the dial is in the light or not, it: would be easy for'the operator to find the starting point and to know .when zero passed it in any count.

The front of the dial periphery is under out, asshown in Fig. 4, and groups of lock combination units herein shown in the form The plunger 6 is" and seated in slots in it, are pawl devices R, consisting of a slidable frame 7' with a recess 1 to receive a stud. b in the rim tolimit the sliding motion of the frame; a lengthwise recess W. on the inner frontside, as a seat for the pawl r a stud 7' adapted to fit in the hole r of the pawl, and act as a pivot, and a hole 1" adapted-to receive a spring 7 which seats upon the underside of the lateral extension 1", constituting a lever handle for the operation of-the pawl in and out of engagement with the dial notches. The pawl is undercut at r to permit the outward movement of its top portion while rotating on the pivot W. A plunger 72 seated in a hole b in the dial rim B presses against the lower end 1* of the pawl frame 7 because of the spring I). A plate B forms a cover for the pawl mechanism and holds it in place;

The pawl-device on the right side of the dial must be used when it is desired to rotate the dial towardthe right with, a pawl, and the corresponding device on the left side must be used when it is desired to rotate the dial toward the left with such a pawl.

In the alternative form of ratchet-pawl device shown in Fig. 5, a pinion c fixed to I the pilot wheel 0 has its shaft 0 journaled in the dial rim at the back and the cover plate B at the front. The cover plate B and the rim B are cut out below just enough to permit the finger to enter at either side of one of the handles 0 of the pilotwheel, so that the operator can turn the wheel and pinion just one notch or unit count in the direction desired at one time.

The dial thus provided is operated in the following manner: Grasp the handle a and turn the dial to the point next to b on the rim where the count is started, the exact point may be found by pressing down on the plunger-head 6 then rotate the dial in the desired direction as many full turns past I tion of the pawl will throw the point 1' into a'notch. Further doWnWa-rdpressureon the lever carriesqthe ratchet pawlr and pawl frame T'dOWIlWEtId in its slide the distance of one notch a,.a-slimited by the'lengthof the recess r Release: of pressure on '1' allows the spring Z) to bring the ratchet mechanism back into place ready for, the next notch.

VVhenthealternative form ofipawl device shown in Fig. 5 is used, the finger-"contacting-With the spur 0 of thepilot-Wheeh 0 and pressing it to'the desiredside as far as the cover plate B -Wil1 allow, the same :result is attained as by use :of'the paw-l in'the form shown in Fig. 1.

I claim as my invention anddesire tosecure by Letters Patenttof the United 5 States:

1. In a combination lock having a rotatable dial and a fixed rim, a circular notched rack on the dial, such notches con stituting arunit gage for running the combi- 5;:

nation of'the lock to which the dial is applied; said dial having, also, groups of lock combination units; means upon the fixed rim adapted to rotate. the dial in either direction by contact With the notches of the rack, and a plunger upon the fixed rim/normally out of contact with the groups of: lockicombination units but adapted to be contacted With them at Will. a V

2. A rotatable dial for combination locks, havinga fixed ri'm a circular notched rack onthedial, such notches constituting a unit gage for running the combination of the lock to Which the dial is to be applied, holes in the dial; such holes constituting'a gage for groups of lock combination units, a. pawl upon the rim adapted to rotate the dial by contact withtheanotches-of therack, and a plunger upon'the rim adapted; to be contacted witli the holesinthezdialat Will.

Inftestimony whereofl havehereunto set my handinpresence ofstwdsubscribing Witnesses.

. WILLIAM T. BENHAMV lVitnessesr a A. L, TILDERLEY, LEWIS M: Hosea;

Copies/of thispatent maybe obtainetl for-xfivvcents each, by addressing the Commissioner of.Patents. Washington,- D. 0. 

